Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-07-21
THREE BOLD HIGHwAYMEN.
A Daring Attempt 60 Rob an Adams
Express Wagon.

The detectives and the special officers
of every police district IN the city we're
yesterday looking for the perpetrators
of one of the boldest attempts at high
way robbery that has ever occurred In
Philadelphia ard which was made be-
tween and 6 o'clock Monday after.
noon on Thirty-Grst street, between
Girard avenue and Thompson street.
When Charles Loughran, driver for
Adams Express Company, reported at
the main office, Sixteenth aud Market
streets, yesterday morning, he informed
Superintendent Rigney that three men
had attempted to stand him up and rob
his wagon. John Morris, q llfteen-year-
old helper, was with Longhran and sub
stantiates his story. Longhran says
that he was making his regular up
town delivery and had reached Thirty
| first and Girard avenue about 5.l5 o..
clock. AS he turned around Thirty
| first street, from Grard avenue, he no
ticed shabby looking middle-aged
man standing on the pavement short
distance above the corner. He thought
nothing of it, and stopped the team in
front of the man and asked him where
1881 was, .be having package to deliv-
er a that place. The man directed
him up the street. He looked for the
number but could not find it. He then
left the team in charge of the boy and
started down the street to inquire for
the person he was searching for. He
entered barber shop on the corner of
little street to make the inquiry, and
the next thing he knew he was engaged
in fight with three men who were try
ing to rob his wagon.
AN OLD GAME REVIVED.
Morris, the boy, says that after
Loughran had left him two young men
came around the corner of Girard ave-
nue. and walked up to and spoke to the
shabby man on the pavement. The
three men started toward the wagon,
and Morris heard one of the young men
say to his companion:
Il say, Harry, let's get our package
They then came up to the wagon and
the young man addressed as Harry
said:
Say, give us that package in there
for Baltz's brewery
There isn't any package here for
Baltz, Morris answered.
YOU'RE damn liar said one of the
men. There it is pointing TO heavy
looking package in the wagon.
That's not for BaltZ. It's for
Eighteenth and Montgomery avenue,
said Morris.
You're an inpertinent young liar
and We'll report you,' was the answer.
With that one of the young men climbed
IN the front and the other in the back
of the wagon and made gran for the
packages. Morris at once called for
Loughran, VINO. however, was in the
barber shop and did not hear him. The
man on the pavement attempted to
start up the horse and thereby distract
ed Morris attention. The little fellow,
however, pluckily tried to prevent the
robbery and again shouted for Lough-
ran, who this time heard him and came
runDing down to the wagon. AS soon
as he reached the wagon, after the
shabby man on the pavement had tried
to trip him, Morris suddenly started
the horse around, jerking one of the
robbers out of the wagon and throwing
him in the gutter Loughran then
asked the other man in the wagon what
he wanted there.
A SHORT BUT SPIRITED FIGHT.
j want my package said the man.
well, come out of the wagon, and if
it's yours I'll give it to you,' said
Loughran.
The man jumped out of the wagon,
and as he reached the ground made a
violent lunge at Ioughran. who warded
off the blow and struck his opponent
under the left eye, laying open his cheek
and Telling him to the ground. In the
meantime his partner had risen and
struck Loughran and the shabby man
had picked up cobble. e.stone for the
same purpose. when Morris began
shouting for help. The three bold rob-
bers,by this time thoroughly frightened
didn't wait for any more, but made a
break for the Park, the shabby man
running out Girard avenue, and his
two accomplices out Thompson street.
The whole thing had been done so
quickly, that people within a hundred
yards of the fight did not know any
thing about it until the men had es-
capped and after they had seen Lough-
rams torn shirt, bruised face and
bloody hands. Loughran Immediately
jumped into the wagon, finished his
work, and reported the affair the next
morning. Chief of Detectives Wood
was at once notified and the description
of the men furnished every police dis
trict in the city.
DESCRIPTION OF TIE HIGHWAYMEN.
Morris says the two young men were
about twenty years old. smooth-faced,
rather tall and dressed in similar suits
of small check, dark gray in color, and
soft felt pocket hats. He says they
were respectable-looking, but the other
man was small, middle-aged, had a
stubby red .moustache and wore dark
shabby clothing, the trousers of which
were out at the knees. The robbers
are supposed to belong to a gang of
young men who haunt the woods along
the railroad day and night. Their prin-
cipal occupation is playing ball on the
lots and drinking beer under the trees